Chapter 1

*Ashok Pov*

The sudden shrill sound of my phone distracted everyone in the room and I calmly picked it up only to frown hearing the words from the other side.

“What you mean there is a problem even after finding his location?” I asked gesturing the team to continue ordering the food.

Today it’s finally the day when we recovered the losses because of a sudden accident at the company where the important dealings got sold to the rival company by one of the employees.

“Dead?” I asked frozen in shock after hearing those words from the inspector.

“My name?” I continued not getting any clarity and glanced at two people who are looking at me with questioning looks and immediately reached me catching my signal.

“Is there anything wrong, Sir?” Mohan asked after I cut the call.

“It’s from the inspector regarding the culprit. They caught his location but he is already dead.” I explained and they both were lost at words like me.

“I will go and deal with it.” Pramod stated but I shook my head remembering their earlier words regarding my name being mentioned.

After asking them to deal with the staff regarding the treat and even passing some money, I left the place to reach the police station.

“Both?” I asked taking the letter into my hands and frowned while going through the contents.

“There is no money left which he got through these deals and both died using poison because of debts leftover. They didn’t include your name as the reason but they included your name under the guardian for their son.” I scrolled over the contents in the letter while hearing the officer’s words.

All that includes in the letter is an apology for betraying my trust when I took care of his family in the past. I ignored the apology and glanced at a distance to see a boy sitting on the bench in silence.

“Funeral?” I asked still staring at the kid.

“Already done through the municipality, Sir.” He replied and I nodded before gesturing to the kid.

“How old is he?” I asked not remembering meeting this kid in the past.

“He is ten as per the records. He is not saying anything when we tried to talk to him.” I nodded walking closer to the kid.

“What is your name?” I asked reaching closer to him and he glanced up to stare at me.

“My name is Vikranth, Sir! I am sorry, Sir!” he replied making me frown.

“Why?” I asked folding my arms.

“My Mom asked me to apologize when I meet you, Sir.” He replied without any expression.

I read a line of his Dad mentioning to collect their debt to me from his son. I sighed calling an orphanage and took him with me to that place.

“You will be living here from now on. Study well and do well for yourself.” Saying that I dropped him off at the orphanage after signing him up and paying some funds for his sake before driving off.

When I reached the company, I found both of my employees still waiting even though everyone can leave after lunch today as I granted them leave for three days.

“Is everything fine, Sir?” Mohan asked and I nodded before thinking about what else the inspector found from this investigation.

“Phones are no longer allowed into any kind of meetings. They will be dropped at their own desks before entering the room. I don’t want another incident where one of the employees records the details of crucial matters or makes a phone call to any rival.” I stated and they both stilled hearing those words.

“That’s how he got the information?” Pramod asked in a shocked tone while Mohan gave me a nod and started typing out the information on the typewriter to get it passed to the three floors by the time everyone return from their holiday.

“I am sure no one will object, Sir. Many don’t have phones with them and I will hire someone to check everyone before they enter the conference room.” Mohan said nodding at me and I nodded before walking into my cabin.

We finally recovered the losses but to get profits from this point, the work needs to be doubled more than before. That employee not just harmed my company but all the employees present and so it doesn’t matter to me that he is no more or that he choose me as his son’s guardian.

****

“More funds are needed? I am sending them every year, right?” I asked frowning at the head of the orphanage for calling me to this place.

“I know, Mr. Ashok! We are thankful for that but we wanted to talk about the boy you brought two years back.” He explained and I waited for him to continue.

“He is a genius, Mr. Ashok. He can get anything right if we teach him once. All the staff feels that such genius will get his talent wasted if he stays here and gets this minimal education. Is it possible to get him better education?” he asked and I frowned at those words.

“Even with this basic education, he can do anything if he puts effort, right?” I asked and he nodded smiling.

“But he doesn’t talk to anyone and he learns only if he hears it in the class otherwise he stays alone in the corner without doing anything. He needs a push and our small orphanage cannot provide it.” I rubbed my face before asking him to let me meet the kid.

However, I was shocked to find he looks the same how he was two years back and the head calmly explained how he doesn’t even eat much when they provide the food.

“Why are you not eating properly?” I asked in a calm tone while reaching his side.

“I am eating enough, Sir.” He replied not glancing up.

That evening I sat with him and asked about basic things about studies and he answered most of them correctly and I understand why the orphanage head wants this kid to have a better education.

“Do you know what happened to your parents?” I asked and he nodded hearing that question without a pause.

“Your Dad stole information from me which cost me so much that I even sold my properties and nearly closed my company.” I explained and he nodded again in silence.

“They selected me as your guardian saying you will repay me whatever I lost because of your Dad’s actions. Do you know?” he nodded not flinching a bit.

“So, will you?” this time he opened his mouth saying, “I will repay everything, Sir.”

“Okay! You need to work hard from today onwards and you will be my son from now on. But the day you show the same betrayal as your Dad, I will not spare you.” Saying that I stood up and held his hand before walking out of the orphanage and I need not do many proceedings as I just had to show his parent’s letter and because of my connection, the adoption process was smooth.

*Vikranth Pov*

“You are getting good results. Keep it up!” I nodded to his praise but felt a sense of relief in my head hearing those words.

I didn’t let down my new Dad and I will work hard. I sighed holding my school bag tightly and found that we are going in a different direction.

“One of my employee’s wife passed away recently but his daughter is getting admitted continuously.” He explained when I asked him where we are going and he suddenly slammed his hand on the steering wheel which made me shift away closer to the door feeling scared.

“If not for your Dad using a phone recording to steal the contents in the meetings, I wouldn’t have passed the rule that the phones are not allowed. Then maybe all this wouldn’t have happened.” He sighed and I froze hearing those words.

This is because of my Dad? I closed my eyes while remembering Mom’s words on how I need to repay for my Dad’s mistakes.

“I will introduce you as my son and you need to say anything about the past near anyone of them. Be humble and polite!” I nodded hearing his instructions while I felt sad that my Dad caused another mistake.

When I met the people, I couldn’t meet their eyes feeling guilty and I played with the two children and followed whatever they asked me to.

After meeting them, when we were leaving, my new Dad suddenly said, “Those both helped me a lot from the beginning and I will treat them as my family from now on. You need to do the same and protect them after taking over my business. Will you?”

“Yes, Sir… Yes, Dad!” I said promising him and myself to always do it.

“Good! I need to pay them for being my side during tough times and their families should always be our priority.” He continued and I noted every word he said in my mind to never break my promise to always protect them.

I felt guilty but also happy to meet them as this is the first time I am playing with other kids after that accident. Dad let me come to the hospital every day from school and other uncles were good too.

“I am good at timetables!” Prathap stated folding his arms.

“You need to do sit-ups if even Vikranth says it.” Shrishti said scowling at him and then glanced at me after he accepted.

I glanced at both of them and realized Prathap has to do sit-ups which will hurt him if I say the timetables correctly and so I said a few before keeping quiet.

“Shrishti!” Mohan Uncle said entering the room and she turned to face him with a smile.

“Dad! You need to teach Vikranth timetables as you taught me. He is very bad at this.” She said shaking her head.

“Yes! If my Dad scolds me about my marks then I will say even Vikranth is bad at it.” Prathap nodded laughing and I looked down.

“Prathap!” His Mom warned and I felt Mohan Uncle reaching my side.

“Don’t worry! You will learn very fast.” He assured me and I glanced up to stare at him before nodding.

“Dad! I want to go home. Vikranth will come with me and we all will play.” Shrishti said sitting up.

“Just for this week and then school starts.” Uncle mumbled and she nodded smiling before glancing at us.

“Will you be able to handle these three?” Leela Aunty asked shaking her head.

“I will not cause trouble.” I whispered hearing her words as I need to be with them to take care of them and he nodded smiling.

After that, I spent more time with them and continued to study hard with a goal to repay for all the trouble that my… that man had caused to Dad and everyone else.